NHS population screening: education and training
Resources to support screening professionals in their initial training and continuing professional development (CPD).
Use this guide to:
- download tools to help explain screening
- access e-learning
- access programme specific training
- sign up for screening training
e-Learning
Most e-learning for the NHS screening programmes is available on the e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) website. This includes the introduction to population screening module, which explains what screening is and how screening programmes are implemented in the NHS.
We also have an All our Health module on population screening, which is ideal for health and care practitioners who do not work directly in screening to find out more about the NHS screening programmes and what they can do to support them.
Neither of these modules require registration.
Screening programme resources
Read further training information on GOV.UK about the:
- abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) programme
- bowel cancer screening (BCSP) programme
- breast screening (BSP) programme
- cervical screening (CSP) programme
- diabetic eye screening (DES) programme
- fetal anomaly screening programme (FASP)
- infectious diseases in pregnancy screening (IDPS) programme
- newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) screening programme
- newborn blood spot (NBS) screening programme
- newborn hearing screening programme (NHSP)
- sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening programme
Antenatal and newborn screening timeline
The antenatal and newborn timeline shows optimum times for NHS antenatal and newborn screening tests to take place.
Neonatal and paediatric intensive care units: learning resource
Download the NICU and PICU resource if you work in a:
- neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
- paediatric intensive care unit (PICU)
To support you in ensuring the infants and babies in your care are offered screening in a timely manner, use this self-directed tool to:
- get an overview of screening within the NICU and PICU environment
- work through scenarios and examples
When you’ve used the resource, make sure to reflect on your learning and use it as evidence of continuing professional development.
Antenatal and newborn screening resource
This interactive presentation replaces the pocket-sized resource cards that used to be provided to midwives. It includes important information on all the antenatal and newborn screening programmes, with illustrations and links to films, e-learning and other resources.
Use the resource to:
- discuss screening with women and their families
- facilitate informed choices
Student midwife pack
This resource was previously distributed in hard copy to all new student midwives at the start of each academic year. We have now made the information electronic in line with ‘digital first’ and to enable content to be up-to-date at all times. It contains links to education and training resources, an explanation of recessive inheritance and a copy of the interactive resource information for midwives to use with women to support informed choice.
Recommended reading
Sense about Science has published a useful guide called Making Sense of Screening. This helps people to weigh up the benefits and harms of health-screening programmes. Professor Anne Mackie, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) Director of Screening, was one of the contributors to the guide.
Additional resources
Additional education and training resources are available from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). These comprise:
- the health screening module
- the screening masterclass
- a screening e-learning module (hosted by the Faculty of Public Health)
Full details are available on the OHID page for education and training for screening-related professionals.